Re: [Harp-L] public domain

[Ken Deifik <kenneth.d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

John Walden wrote:
> Now it seems that much of "song writers royalties" does not go to the 
> people who WROTE the songs at all.

It's relatively recent that songwriter's royalties even existed.  The 
writer sold all rights to a publisher until 100 years ago.

They then got a small percentage of the back-end, then a larger and larger 
one, until the 1950's in America, when the number hit 50%.

Nowadays, writers with a good track record can actually get more than 50%, 
usually by doing a sub-publishing deal with a major.

The value of the percentage a songwriter gives to a publisher varies 
widely.  Classically in Nashville, writers got a weekly draw and pitching 
services in exchange for 50% of the back-end.  Many of my friends were 
delighted with that setup, because the publisher got them a career and then 
continued to get them cuts - ie, income - that they probably couldn't have 
gotten for themselves without setting up an office of their own with their 
own employees.

On the other hand, my closest friend in Nashville right now, someone with 
three recent #1's under her belt, is highly dissatisfied with her current 
publisher, though that publisher doesn't get 50%.